I am really stumped by this VERY loud call I heard near a bioretention
pond/marsh in the parking lot where I'm working in Baltimore. I was
trying out my "new" camera (it's been "going to the shop" for a number
of years, so it's new to me) trying to get some well lit pics of
Red-winged Blackbirds and male Goldfinches today at around 6:30pm, and
was stalking around close to the edge of this smallish (~25'X50') pond
which has completely filled across with reeds and marsh grasses (i.e.
no open water, although water is standing in the pond). This is over a
berm on the far side of the lot, so no one comes over here and it is
not meticulously landscaped. There are medium sized scrubby trees
growing in dense stands and waist height brush all around the pond.
Right in front of me, in the vicinity where the dense small trees
overhang some very dense brush and the edge of the water, comes the
loudest call I have ever heard. This volume was most certainly not
just due to close proximity. This was louder than any other call I
have heard, regardless of distance between me and the bird. Even if I
had been able to see the mystery bird when it called, the call was so
loud that it would've been startling. The closest I can approximate it
was an exclamatory WEEEP!, not piercing in pitch, but so loud that it
sounded artificially amplified. The bird would make this single
WEEEP!, a single loud WEEP! followed by two almost whispered "weep,
weep," or a single WEEP! followed by an almost whispered, short
"clucking" noise for the next half hour on an interval of every minute
or so. There were definitely long, 1-2 minute long pauses between the
calls/variations on the original call. But they were all of the same
incredible volume. I don't pretend to be an expert, or even have an
intermediate knowledge of birding by ear, so it's not unusual that I
don't know this bird's identity. But the fact that Í've never heard a
sound like this, even an unidentifiable one, is very surprising to me
and has me quite curious. I'd appreciate any ideas for potential
candidate species for which I could find sound files for online.

Also, since I'm posting anyway, and I've been reading about so many
interesting kayak trips, I was reminded of a couple of interesting
birds I saw on a kayak trip of my own down the Monocacy River from
Frederick City Park to Monocacy National Battlefield. An official
tally of all the birds seen wasn't kept, but there were 3 Green Herons
that allowed my very close approach and even followed my progress
downriver for a stretch, investigating my loud, puckered "kissing"
impression of their screeching flight call. Also, a secretive
Yellow-billed Cuckoo made an appearance along the reach between Piney
Run Park and the Monocacy Junction RR bridge, as well as a family of
three juvenile and two adult Wood Ducks that kept just ahead of me
downriver.

-- 
Alex Baish
Ijamsville, MD (home)
Baltimore, MD (work/school)